Thomas Almeida is one of the most high-profile Brazilian prospects to make his way to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Octagon in years, and last night (Sat., April 25, 2015) during the UFC 186 pay-per-view (PPV) inside the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, "Thominas" had his coming out party.
Taking on savvy veteran Yves Jabouin, Almeida showed off his vicious striking arsenal with precise technique and ferocious power. Once the Brazilian had Jabouin hurt, it was only a matter of time as Almeida picked his shots en route to his first career Octagon finish in the very first round.
The win was Almeida's 18th career victory, 17 of which have come via finish. His lone decision victory came in his Octagon debut to the very durable Tim Gorman last November.
At only 23-years old, Almeida's career prospects look quite promising in UFC's bantamweight division. Perhaps the Brazilian can take on someone ranked in the top 15 his next time out to really see where he stands in the division rankings.
It sure would be fun to watch the "Thominas" take on Francisco Rivera or Erik Perez.
As for Jabouin, "Tiger" has exchanged wins and losses in his last six outings, pushing his mixed martial arts (MMA) record to 20-10 at 35 years old.
Time to hang them up, or should Jabouin try for one last win?
For complete results from UFC 186: "Johnson vs Horiguchi," including play-by-play updates, click here. And for a full Thomas Almeida vs. Yves Jabouin fight recap click here.